The first misconception that is widespread in the commentariat is that the Newest Right can be thought of as being simply a group of “extremists” who happen to be further on the same political spectrum on which leftists, liberals, centrists and moderate conservatives find their places. But reducing politics to points on a single line is more confusing than enlightening. Most political movements result from the intersection of several axes—ideology, class, occupation, religion, ethnicity and region—of which abstract ideology is seldom the most important.

The second misconception is that the Newest Right or Tea Party Right is populist. The data, however, show that Tea Party activists and leaders on average are more affluent than the average American. The white working class often votes for the Newest Right, but then the white working class has voted for Republicans ever since Nixon. For all its Jacksonian populist rhetoric, the Newest Right is no more a rebellion of the white working class than was the original faux-populist Jacksonian movement, led by rich slaveowners like Andrew Jackson and agents of New York banks like Martin Van Buren.

I will not stand idly by and let you slander our nation's most beloved president! You, sir, are a scoundrel!

Hahahahahaha._________________A cigarette is the perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can one want? ~Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

this is from a couple of days ago - but a) it sounds like the senate chaplain is a sensible fellow and b) the house, it seems, want to hear him. i will look forward to seeing if they actually listen._________________aka: neverscared!
a flux of vibrant matter

So the Russian Ambassador has been arrested in the Netherlands because witnesses called the police cause he was beating his kids.

The Russian Ambassador's wife incidentally also went out drunk and driving and crashed into 4 parked cars.

President Poetin is going apeshit and demands an apology (he got one, though it was pretty obvious it wasn't heartfelt), the sacking of the officers who did their job right (that won't happen) and right now a detailed explanation of what exactly happened.

The Ambassador (and his wife) is protected by the treaty of Vienna, so we're not allowed to prosecute him officially.

Meanwhile, aside from the obvious gay rights Russia is violating, they also locked up our Dutch Greenpeace protestors and now suddenly claim to have found drugs (gee, around the same time as the ambassadors arrest). They're also trying to sabotage our market by claiming our milk and tulips are rotten.

As much as the Dutch would love to give the Russians a huge fat middlefinger, we are incredibly dependant on their gas. Suddenly it's like we're in a survival game where one corrupted party holds the power because they have the goods.

I don't know what will happen next but there's a good chance that we'll let the guy return to Russia and he can keep on beating his kids. I don't like this one bit but I don't see any other solution.

edit: from the diplomat wiki:

Quote:

A particular problem is the difficulty in enforcing ordinary traffic regulations such as prohibitions on double parking. For example, the Autobahn 555 in Cologne, Germany was nicknamed the "Diplomatenrennbahn" (Diplomatic Raceway), back when Bonn was the capital of West Germany, because of the numerous diplomats that used to speed through the highway under diplomatic immunity. Certain cities, e.g., The Hague, have taken to impounding such cars rather than fining their owners. Diplomats cannot demand the release of impounded cars based on their status.

That's a brilliant solution to diplomats being assholes with their cars.

Unfortunately, you can't impound his kids and give them to a lovely Dutch family._________________"Worse comes to worst, my people come first, but my tribe lives on every country on earth. I’ll do anything to protect them from hurt, the human race is what I serve." - Baba Brinkman

well, i don't know - sounds like it's worth trying. i mean, the guy may be happy to have his kids impounded - he doesn't seem to care for them all that much.

or we can hope that once this all dies down, putin will quietly call the guy back home and have him shot. because he's not exactly making russia look good._________________aka: neverscared!
a flux of vibrant matter

I doubt Putin cares about Russia's reputation, he constantly seems to be going against the wishes of other countries (especially America). I'm holding on to the tiniest sliver of hope that our representative explains why we had to arrest him and that would give the Russians enough reason to throw this guy into their own jails._________________www.cobrasphinx.nl

Utah just managed a significant feat of legal wrangling to reopen the federal parks there on the Governor's dime. The secretary of the interior was on board and officially made it go through today.

This would never have happened if it weren't for Grand Moff Obama! The more he tightens his grip, the more park systems will slip through his fingers! THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WON'T STAND FOR OUR PARKS TO BE TAKEN AWAY JUST BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT'S SHUT DOWN!